1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network communication technique connecting a substrate processing apparatus performing prescribed processing on a semiconductor substrate, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display, a glass substrate for a photomask or a substrate for an optical disk (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”) and a computer, with each other through a communication network.
2. Description of the Background Art
A product such as a semiconductor device or a liquid crystal display is manufactured by performing a series of processing steps such as cleaning, resist coating, exposure, development, etching, formation of an interlayer dielectric film and thermal processing, on a substrate. In general, a substrate processing apparatus having a built-in resist coating processing, a built-in development processing unit etc., performs such processing steps. A transfer robot provided on the substrate processing apparatus successively transfers the substrate to the respective processing units thereby performing the series of processing steps on the substrate.
Such substrate processing is automatically controlled, and the substrate processing apparatus stores application program data, set information etc. for the automatic control. In other words, the substrate processing apparatus is controlled through the application program according to the contents of the set information.
The set information stored in the substrate processing apparatus includes basic information employed in common for the substrate processing apparatus and information intrinsic to the substrate processing apparatus. While the substrate processing apparatus is essentially controllable by basic information set by default, optimum control cannot be performed with the same set contents as a result of a differing set environment or a manufacturing error of the substrate processing apparatus. Therefore, the basic information must be corrected for performing control procedures, and each substrate processing apparatus accumulates this corrected information as intrinsic information.
The intrinsic information is information intrinsic to every user and every substrate processing apparatus. In order to return a substrate processing apparatus having some fault, such as a hardware fault (with loss of accumulated information) to the state before the occurrence of the fault, it is necessary to periodically back up the set information. When the user changes the set information in a self-determined manner, past set information may be required. In order to operate the substrate processing apparatus with the past set information in this case, it is necessary to periodically back up the set information. In general, the user backs up the set information on a removable disk or the like in each substrate processing apparatus.
However, it is extremely time-consuming to back up the set information of the substrate processing apparatus on the removable disk or the like, leading to a burden on the user. When a large number of substrate processing apparatuses are set, the backup operation particularly burdens the user.
Further, it is necessary to minimize the interval for backup processing so that the backup data is effective. However, the burden of the backup processing is so heavy that it is impractical to require the user to frequently perform periodic backup processing.
The aforementioned basic information of a set in the substrate processing apparatus in an initial stage, consists of an extremely large number of set items. The user or a member of a support staff, first sets the basic information in the substrate processing apparatus, thereby operating the substrate processing apparatus according to the basic information. The user then sets intrinsic information in response to the individual substrate processing apparatus. In other words, the user corrects the operation of the substrate processing apparatus set according to the basic information, with the intrinsic information thereby performing optimum control.
As hereinabove described, the basic information to be set in the substrate processing apparatus consists of an extremely large number of set items. If the set information is erroneous with respect to some of the large number of items, the substrate processing apparatus cannot perform a planned operation.
When a number of different substrate processing apparatuses are provided by operating staff with basic information the set contents of the basic information may vary with the substrate processing apparatuses due to introduced artificial errors. In this case, the same products cannot be produced even if the substrate processing apparatuses execute the same processing steps.
When it is proven that the basic information set in each substrate processing apparatus includes a set error from the results of operation of the substrate processing apparatus, it is extremely difficult to find the erroneous set contents from the large number of set items.
Components forming the aforementioned substrate processing apparatus also include consumables. For example, cleaning brushes provided in a cleaning processing unit for cleaning substrates or lamps provided in a lamp annealing apparatus for rapidly annealing substrates by photoirradiation are typical consumables. Further, belts, cylinders, motors etc. forming a driving mechanism for driving the transfer robot or the like are also consumables.
Such consumables are consumed or deteriorate as used and become entirely unusable with excessive use. It is thus necessary to periodically order new components for replacement of the consumables.
In general, new components are ordered and procured only after the consumables are consumed or rendered unusable. Therefore, processing time is wasted until arrival of the new components thereby disadvantageously reducing the working efficiency of the apparatus. While it is preferable to manage the usable life of the consumables in the substrate processing apparatus, a large number of substrate processing apparatuses are usually arranged in a single substrate processing factory and excessive effort is required for managing consumables of all substrate processing apparatuses.
In addition, since a large number of such substrate processing apparatuses are arranged in a single substrate processing factory for manufacturing semiconductor devices or the like they are operated by a number of operators. It is accordingly necessary to properly educate inexperienced unskilled operators with respect to the method of operating the apparatuses. When specifications etc. of the apparatuses are changed, it is also necessary to instruct even skilled operators about the new operating method.
The operators must divide into groups for attending a lecture about the apparatuses which lecture is repetitively delivered to the groups. Alternatively, the groups are gathered around a single substrate processing apparatus for getting a collective explanation thereof.
Because lectures must be repeated, with the same contents or not all operators will not be sufficiently or properly trained, there is a marked disadvantageous inefficiency for both users and vendors of the substrate processing apparatuses.